LT 460 – MODERN GERMAN LITERATURE IES Abroad

DESCRIPTION: This course is a non-chronological survey of German literature from 1945 to the present with an emphasis on the development of literary traditions, subjects, and themes. One emphasis of the course will be put on important biographies of German-language authors that illustrate changing times. Particularly important is the conflictual history of a “divided” and, in 1989, “reunited” German literature that begins in 1945. Using short stories, novels, and poems, we will discuss current developments in the literary process. The year 1989 constitutes an important turning point which is continuously reflected in the works of authors of different generations.

CREDITS: 3 credits

CONTACT HOURS: 45 contact hours

LANGUAGE OF PRESENTATION: German

ADDITIONAL COST: none

PREREQUISITES: none

METHOD OF PRESENTATION: • Lectures • Discussions • Student Presentations (optional) • Films • Field trips • Moodle will be used to enhance students' learning experiences.

REQUIRED WORK AND FORM OF ASSESSMENT: Analysis, interpretation and discussion of literary texts. Final grades will be based on: • Course participation - 10% • Midterm Exam - 20% • Final Exam - 30% • Short Papers - 30% • Oral presentation - 10%

Course Participation This includes attendance, active participation in class discussions, bringing up pertinent questions, and familiarity with the literary texts. In order to prepare in advance for the seminars, students should take notes for the assigned readings, summarize the main ideas and formulate questions on the topic. The grading rubric for participation is available in the IES Berlin Academics Manual on Moodle.

Midterm and Final Exam Midterm and final will be written exams in essay format.

Papers Students will write three papers during the course (each around 3 pages in length). Papers are to be submitted in hard copy. Topics and requirements are available in Moodle at the beginning of the semester. The last paper will be the write-up of an oral presentation.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

By the end of the course students will be able to: • understand and identify German literary trends from 1945-present • recognize the development of literature subjects, motifs, and themes • correctly identify authors, their works, and present them in their specific context and their “timelessness” • analyze and assess literature • correctly categorize texts according to their time periods as well as to link texts to historical and social-psychological contexts

ATTENDANCE POLICY: Attendance and punctuality in all courses and field studies are mandatory. Absences can only be excused for valid reasons. Unexcused absences can affect students’ grades. Students who miss 25% or more of all class sessions will fail the course. Missed exams cannot be taken at another time except in case of documented illness. Late submission of term papers and other work will result in grade reduction unless an extension due to illness or an emergency is approved. Please consult the IES Berlin Academics Manual on Moodle for additional details.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Students are expected to abide by the IES Abroad Academic Integrity Code. Assigned papers need to be properly and amply footnoted where appropriate, with all sources attributed. Poorly written and grammatically sloppy papers will be judged more severely. Work with a language tutor.

CONTENT: • the phenomenon of a “divided” and “reunited” German literature: a historical and literary overview • the literary discourse on fascism and World War II: the question of guilt and strategies for overcoming it – theme: “Trauerarbeit” or “grief work” • the individual and society • the documentary and the fantastic • “East” and „West:” generational conflicts • German literature at the turn of the century

CONTENT

Week Topic Reading / Assignments

Week 1 Session 1: Orientation and Course Goals: What is this literature course about? “Die Stunde Null.” Poems

Session 2: Trümmerliteratur („rubble literature“) • Wolfgang Borchert, „Die Küchenuhr“and Excerpt of Rainer Maria Fassbinder’s film: „The Marriage „Nachts schlafen die Ratten doch“ (collection, of Maria Braun“ (1979) 1947)

Week 2 Session 3: Discourse Literature • Günter Eich: Inventur (1946) Günter Eich and Barbara Köhler • Barbara Köhler: Vogelbild & Newspaper (1995) and a selection of other poems

Session 4 :Germany: A winter’s Tale in Two Acts Interpretation & discussion of texts Biography & literary work of Heinrich Heine & • Heinrich Heine: Deutschland – ein Wintermärchen (1844) • Wolf Biermann: Deutschland – Ein Wintermärchen (1965) • Kurt Tucholsky: Worauf man in Europa stolz ist (1932)

Week 3 Session 5: Writing after Auschwitz Interpretation & discussion of text Biography & literary work of Johannes Bobrowski - How • Johannes Bobrowski: Mäusefest (1962) to write an essay

Session 6: War and Exile. • Bertolt Brecht: An die Nachgeborenen (1939) Biography & literary work of Bertolt Brecht and other poems Session 7: 1 p.m, Field Trip to Brecht Gedenkstätte

Week 4 Session 7: Bertolt Brecht Continuation • Excerpts from a Brecht play Discussion: How to write an essay. Students will start to • Horst Bienek: Berlin, Chausseestraße 125 (1983) write their first text First paper due

Session 8: Ideology and Media • Peter Handke: Publikumsbeschimpfung Biography and literary work by Peter Handke (Theaterstück, 1965) Filmische Theateraufzeichnung: Publikumsbeschimpfung (1966)

Week 5 Session 9: Midterm Exam (take home)

Week 6 Session 10: Poetry: Trauerarbeit, Spiritual Struggle, Exile • Nelly Sachs: Leben unter Bedrohung (1956) Nelly Sachs, Paul Celan, Ingeborg Bachmann and other • Selection of poetry poets

Session 11: Poetry: • Kerstin Hensel: Bescherung (2016) Biography & poetic work of Kerstin Hensel & Christine • Christine Lavant: Du hast meine einfachen Wege Lavant and a selection of poems durchkreuzt (1956) and other poems

Week 7 Session 12: Food as a Cultural Code in German History • Thomas Bernhard: Der deutsche Mittagstisch Biography & literary work of Thomas Bernhard (1988)

Session 13 and 14: Field Trip: (We start at 1 p.m.) Second paper due “Spurensuche im literarischen Berlin”: Das “falsche Scheunenviertel” in Berlin, Mythos , and other places (group visits to different places)

Week 8 Session 15: Discussion about Field trip • Jurek Becker: Jakob der Lügner (1969) Biography & poetic work of Jurek Becker

Session 16: Lies & truths in literature • Jurek Becker: Jakob der Lügner (1969) Discussion of Jakob der Lügner

Week 9 Session 17: Lies & truths in literature Notes for oral presentation due Film: Jurek Becker: Jakob der Lügner (1974)

Session 18: Discussion about text & film • Bernhard Schlink: Der Vorleser (1995)

Week 10 Session 19: Oral Presentations • Bernhard Schlink: Der Vorleser (1995)

Session 20: Lies and Truths in Literature • Bernhard Schlink: Der Vorleser (1995) Biography and literary work of Bernhard Schlink Oral Presentations

Week 11 Session 21: Identity and the Digital Revolution • Daniel Kehlmann: Ruhm (2009), chapter 1: „Stimmen“ Daniel Kehlmann: Ruhm

Third paper due

Session 22: Identity and the Digital Revolution • Daniel Kehlmann: Ruhm, chapter 4: “Der Daniel Kehlmann: Ruhm Ausweg” Oral Presentations and Preparation for the final exam

Week 12 Session 23: Final Exam

FIELD TRIPS: • Visit to Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof ( cemetery) • Bertolt Brecht Museum • Theater performance (preferably Bertolt Brecht) • field trips in small groups

REQUIRED READINGS: Short stories, poems and novels of the following authors will be discussed; other texts may be added during the course. • Becker, Jurek: Jakob der Lügner (1969) • Bienek, Horst: Berlin, Chausseestraße 125 (1983) • Biermann, Wolf: Deutschland – Ein Wintermärchen (1965) • Bernhard, Thomas: Der deutsche Mittagstisch (1988) • Brecht, Bertolt: An die Nachgeborenen (1939) • Borchert, Wolfgang: Die Küchenuhr“ (1947) • Borchert, Wolfgang: Nachts schlafen die Ratten doch (1947) • Bobrowski, Johannes: Mäusefest (1962)

• Eich, Günter: Inventur (1946) • Handke, Peter: Publikumsbeschimpfung (Stück, 1965) • Heine, Heinrich: Deutschland – ein Wintermärchen (1844) • Hensel, Kerstin: Bescherung (2016) • Kehlmann, Daniel: Ruhm (2009) • Lavant, Christine: Du hast meine einfachen Wege durchkreuzt (1956) • Sachs, Nelly: Leben unter Bedrohung (1956) • Köhler, Barbara: Vogelbild & Newspaper (1995) • Schlink, Bernhard: Der Vorleser (1995) • Tucholsky, Kurt: Worauf man in Europa stolz ist (1932)

RECOMMENDED READINGS: • Opitz, Michael and Michael Hofmann (eds). Metzler Lexikon DDR-Literatur. Autoren – Institutionen –Debatten. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2009. • Beutin, Wolfgang (ed). Deutsche Literaturgeschichte. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2013. • Burdorf, Dieter and Christoph Fasbender (eds). Metzler Lexikon Literatur. Begriffe und Definitionen. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2007. • Heukenkamp, Ursula and Peter Geist (eds). Deutschsprachige Lyriker des 20. Jahrhunderts. Berlin: Erich Schmidt Verlag, 2007 • Kugli, Ana and Michael Opitz (eds). Brecht-Lexikon. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2006 • Lutz, Bernd and Benedikt Jeßing (eds). Metzler Autoren Lexikon. Deutschsprachige Dichter und Schriftsteller vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2004 • Kilcher, Andreas B. (ed). Metzler Lexikon der deutsch-jüdischen Literatur. Stuttgart: Metzler, 2000 • Hechtfischer, Ute and Renate Hof (eds). Metzler Autorinnen Lexikon. Stuttgart: Metzler,1998 • Conrady, Karl Otto. Von einem Land und vom andern. Gedichte zur deutschen Wende. 1989/1990. Berlin: Suhrkamp, 1993 • Anderson, Sascha and Elke Erb (eds). Berührung ist nur eine Randerscheinung. Neue Literatur aus der DDR. Köln: Kiepenheuer und Witsch, 1985 • Böthig, Peter and Bernd Michael (eds). Machtspiele. Literatur und Staatssicherheit im Fokus Prenzlauer Berg. Leipzig: Reclam, 1993 • Briegleb, Klaus and Sigrid Weigel (eds). Gegenwartsliteratur seit 1968. München: dtb, 1992

(2019/03)